Silhouettes
by Rainwriter
Summary: Sequel to Mistaken Identity. In the aftermath of Dierdre's interference, Leigh is left altered. With strangers on every side, who can be trusted, and who is only after their own ends?
1. Coma

Disclaimer: Any and all character identifiable as coming from the Stargate omniverse are the property of those that lawfully own them, and I promise that I will give them back when I am done. I'm not making any money off of this, and I'm currently working fast food, so I don't have much. Any attempt to sue would cost more than it's worth.

Author Note: So here it is, the promised sequel. To those of you who have read the original version, you may want to go back and reread the last couple of chapters. Things changed a bit with the rewrite. Funny, for all that things changed, they still ended up in a similar place. Now, here it is. Enjoy.

**Silhouettes:**

Chapter One: Coma

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_"What sort of relationship did we have?"_ The words echoed over and over in Dr. Daniel Jackson's mind as he stared listlessly at his reflection in the elevator doors. He wasn't really seeing himself though, he saw Leigh's confusion, how flustered she was instead. Janet had assured him that her mental state had had nothing to do with the apparent stroke that had sent her into a coma. It wasn't his fault that she had been transferred into the ICU at the military hospital as soon as it was safe to move her.

Janet hadn't wanted to chance her recent claustrophobia complicating things if she woke up again. 'If" hadn't been the word that she'd used, but Daniel was finding it hard to be optimistic at the moment. Especially when he'd just gotten a call from General Hammond informing him that Leigh's family was "too busy to be bothered by one of Leigh's shenanigans," a direct quote according to his CO. How closed off she was had suddenly made a lot more sense given her family's response to her being hospitalized. It would be enough to mess anyone up. At least while he'd had his parents they'd been there. He found it hard to believe that Leigh had gotten the same treatment as a child.

Unconsciously, he toyed with the little get well bear he'd purchased in the gift shop. It didn't seem like enough given everything. The elevator dinged to a stop at his floor, and he got out with a sigh. It was time to face the music.

Janet was waiting for him when he reached the doors to the ICU. She looked tired, but that was to be expected. She'd had a full twelve hour shift at SGC before coming her with her patient. How many days she'd spent here in the last couple of days, Daniel had no way of knowing. Only that visitation had only just been approved, so here he was.

Worry for Leigh, and his friend battled each other as Janet used her badge to grant them access to the ICU. Worry for her won out. "You look exhausted, have you been getting any rest at all?" He asked softly as they entered into the sterile smelling area.

"A little here and there," Janet returned with a faint smile. "Thank you for asking. Did you bring that music I asked you too?"

"Right here," Daniel confirmed, patting his coat pocket. "Will she come out of this?" He asked as they stopped at an open door that turned out to be hers. The sight of Leigh attached to all sorts of machines, and tubes wasn't reassuring.

"All of the damage seems to have contained itself within her Temporal Lobes," She explained ushering him into the room ahead of her. "Not only should she come out of it, there are no obvious reasons for her to be so unresponsive." Daniel got his first look at the real Leigh McAllister then, and Janet's voice was drowned out for several seconds as he looked her over. If they took away all the tubes she would have looked like she was sleeping. Strawberry lashes rested softly on freckled cheekbones. Her skin tone was different, a few things that looked like maybe they were shaped differently. Still, the changes were small, and beyond coloration, he would have been hard pressed to tell the two apart. Well, without the freckles anyway. "... May never be quite the same again." Janet finished.

"What?" Daniel asked, turning to Janet with a frown. He'd missed something important. He was quite sure of that now.

"The Temporal Lobes are where the majority of memory storage is thought to happen. They're also linked to personality and reasoning. Now amazingly enough, most of the cells seem to be regenerating, but until she wakes up, we have not way of knowing what has and hasn't been effected. The workings of the brain are still a bit of a mystery. It's possible that she'll wake up different, and never be the same again. It's also possible that she'll wake up and it will be almost as if this never happened, only time will tell. What I can say for certain is that despite having some of the hallmarks of a stroke, I really don't think that that's what happened. The damage is wrong, to specific, almost like it was picked and chosen. Like someone or something is trying to reprogram her. Ordinarily that wouldn't be possible, but given all those nanites she has swimming around in her body, I have no way of knowing if that is the case with her."

Daniel frowned. "You think someone knew about her nanites, was able to hack them, and is using them against her?" For all that it seemed far fetched, stranger things had happened.

"It's just a theory, I'm not even sure that it's possible," Janet sighed as she checked over Leigh's chart, and took her vitals. "I'll leave you two alone now. I know it may seem odd, but talk to her, it could help you both." Then Janet left.

Feeling a little odd about being here now that it was only the two of them, Daniel move across the small room to her bedside. Laying the bear in the crook of his arm, he took a closer look at the woman who had plagued his existence for that past weeks. She looked so young and small there in that bed, so innocent. She still bore marks from the cave-in, and he touched one bruised eye gently. "What happened to you?" He asked with a sigh. Now that he'd started talking to her didn't seem so odd. "Who did this? Janet thinks it wasn't a natural occurrence, that someone did this to you. Who would do that? Are there really that many people out there gunning for you?" He took a seat by her bed, and looked at her face for several moments, memorizing every feature. He'd asked her once, to show him what she looked like. He never would have thought that she looked so much like her sister, the two were nearly identical.

"Why couldn't you have trusted me?" The question was out before he realized that he was going to ask it. "Trusted us? I doubt that you would be here now if you had. You'd probably be home by now, wherever that is. Then again maybe not," He sighed again as he remembered her family's response to her hospitalization. "Growing yo like that couldn't have been easy. Not having anyone at all to care about you." Gently he squeezed her hand. "But someone cares about you now, several someones, and we want you to get better. Whatever is wrong with you, why ever it's there, I want you to be you and get better. I never would have thought that I would, but I mess you giving me a hard time. It kept me on my toes. Please, come back to me. I need someone to keep my ego in check, ask anyone." He rose then, clearing his throat. "I was asked to play this for you." He continued, pulling out the small MP3 player he'd gotten to copy the music from her computer onto. Very carefully, he put the earbuds into her ears. "Your favorites I would assume. Get well Leigh, please." Then he pushed the play button, and turned to go. A rustle of blankets stopped him, and he turned in time to see her arm slid back onto the bed from her chest, hand relaxing out of a fist. She'd moved, when that music had come on, she'd moved.

"Leigh?" He asked softly, giving her a very light shake. "Leigh can you hear me?" He eyelids fluttered just a little, but there was no other response. Still, she'd moved, more than once in response to outside stimuli. Leaving the music playing, he went in search of a doctor. This was good news he was sure. Good news indeed.


	2. Awakening

Disclaimer: I don't own the Stargate crew or anything pertaining to it. Who does at the moment, I'm not entirely sure, but I promise you I have no intention of taking any of your brain children and claiming them as my own. I'm also not making any money off of this and don't have enough of anything to be worth suing, so please don't you'd come away with a lose.

A/N: Sorry about this taking so long. I've got a decent amount pre-written already and am often adding to it, I just haven't been typing it up as often as I should for all of you. I apologize, and without further ado, I give you Silhouettes chapter two. Enjoy, and reviews are always welcome. : )

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**Chapter Two**: Awakening

"How are you holding up?" Daniel looked up from his cataloging to see Jack leaning against the door jamb. It had been a week and a half since she'd moved. Since then there had been steady signs of improvement, but she still seemed no closer to waking up, and it was beginning to wear on him.

"I'm doing alright, I guess." He replied, turning back to his task. "Work helps. It keeps my mind off of it. Keeps my mind off of her stuck in a hospital bed when she should be back to making our lives difficult by now."

"I take it that that's why you've been spending so much time here. Why you haven't been to the hospital in the last few days?" Jack snatched the small vase that Daniel had been examining from his hand and started to fidget with it, tossing it aimlessly from hand to hand. "It's frustrating, she could take more punishment than the both of us put together. I get that, I do, but it's good for you to go see her. You were going everyday, now nothing, why?"

"She stopped responding to me," Daniel admitted, making a few notes before grabbing the vase back from Jack before he could break it. He put it down in a cleared space with a frown. "She stopped responding to me, and then Sam got her to open her eyes. I hadn't gotten anything at all in days. Her visitation is limited, I thought it would be best to leave it open for people that are actually getting through to her."

"That's crap and you know it," Jack snatched his ledger then, "I saw the way you were starting to look at her. Don't think that I missed your vigil in the infirmary when we got you back from the collapse either-"

"If you're trying to imply that I'm jealous, then you're insane. I'm just doing what I think is best for her."

"If that was really true, you'd have taken leave the first chance you got, and spent as much time at that hospital as they'd let you. If you think that that wasn't going both ways, you're a blind idiot. You're probably the only person available who can actually get through to her! You're certainly the only one on this base that she gives a damn about! If I could order you to be there instead of here I would. We all want her to wake up."

"Jack-"

"So you're going to abandon her just like her family has? Just like everyone else she's ever cared about? I thought you were supposed to be her friend Daniel, but I guess I was wrong. I guess this dusty old junk means more to you than she does."

Daniel pushed away from the table then, grateful that there wasn't anything in his hands to throw, "I don't know what else to do Jack! My being there sure didn't seem to help anything, and seeing her like that," He trailed off shaking his head. "A mountain fell on her and she was less sick. There's just something so fundamentally wrong about this whole thing. I can't stand to see her that way. I don't know why it bothers me so much, it just does. It doesn't mean that I'm abandoning her, I just get so **angry** that I doubt my presence would help anything."

Jack was silent for a moment, from his expression he was thinking. "Did you get angry that first time she moved?" The question gave Daniel pause. "Or emotional at all?" Jack continued.

"Yes," Daniel had to admit with a sigh, "I had better control after I knew what to expect."

"Maybe that's your problem." Jack's tone was matter-of-fact. "Sam usually talks to her about science, and you know how Sam can get. When I go, I complain about you," Jack grinned at him, leaving Daniel what exactly he said, "She usually makes little noises, I think she might be agreeing with me. I could swear she laughed once or twice."

Jack had been to see her, and more than once, that was unexpected. That he'd gotten responses was another nail in the coffin of his helpfulness in Daniel's mind. He couldn't begin to imagine what Jack was trying to get at. "What does any of that have to do with me?"

"Well, Sam gets excited, I'm usually grumpy, and we get responses. So, maybe it's not us. Maybe it's how we talk to her. Why don't you go see her, let out a little of your frustration, and see what happens? It'll help you at the very least, and there's no evidence to suggest that it'll do her any harm."

"No, Jack. I'm not going to yell at a woman in an ICU. That's just not going to happen." He tried to snatch his ledger back, but Jack pulled it out of his reach.

"I never said you had to yell at her. Just let some of your frustration out," Jack sighed. "Go see her. Please, as your friend I insist on that. She needs you."

"If I agree to go, then will you give me that book back?" Jack just smiled, and held the ledger out to him. "I'll go as soon as I'm done with this lot. If I just leave them lying about and someone messes with them it could take days to sort it all out."

"I'm gonna hold you to that," Jack promised, the effect was not at all ruined by his "who me?" face.

The remainder of the cataloging had taken two days, and now here was again with a bouquet of balloons in his hands. It wasn't much, but they wouldn't allow flowers in the ICU. Her nurse knew him by now, though she did look a little surprised to see him, and he was admitted without difficulty. Then it was just the two of them. He settled the balloons where she would be able to see them if she opened her eyes, and then he just stared at her for several minutes. He wasn't at all sure what to say, not when she looked so small and fragile attached to all those monitors and tubes.

"I know I haven't been here in a while," He started. "I just can't stand to see you like this. A mountain fell on you and you all but walked away. I'm sure that's not the only time you came away from something less damaged than you should have been. Why is this so different?" He started to pace then, feeling caged, frustrated, helpless. He hated it. "I don't know how to help you. It certainly doesn't seem like I can, but I want to. I've lost a lot of people before their time, but you're too young to die. There's still so much left for you, so much you haven't had a chance to have. **Wake up.**" There was a lump forming in his throat that he ignored as he turned toward the door and took a deep breath to calm himself. He'd done what Jack had asked, what he'd promised he would do. She wasn't responding, there was no reason to stay.

A whimper from the bed stopped him before he'd taken a single step. He was at her side in two strides. Half opened eyes peered up at him, her face was wet, like she was crying, and she looked so very frustrated. Her hand twitched, and he took it in his and gave it a squeeze. The slight pressure she managed to expert was all the confirmation that he needed. She was awake.

"Don't you dare go back to sleep," He murmured, eyes leaving hers only long enough to find the nurse call button and press it. "Just stay awake, stay with me, okay?" The soft squeeze of her hand was his only response, but her eyes stayed open. "Someone should be here soon," He promised as she tried to swallow and grimaced. It couldn't have been very comfortable with the feeding tube. "If you can stay awake, they maybe able to take that out soon." She tried to smile then, at least that's what he assumed the slight upturning of her mouth was. Then the nurse was there, ushering him out with the promise to get him as soon as they were done checking her over. Once he was out in the waiting room, he made a B- line for the phone bank. A few pone calls later, and then he was back to waiting. He didn't have to wait long.

"She'll see you now," The nurse said with a smile, gesturing for him to follow her. "Her throat is dry, and so talking is difficult, and don't be surprised if she doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Getting out of a coma isn't like you see on TV. It takes some time to recover. If she needs anything, don't be afraid to call." With that the nurse left him in the opened doorway.

"You wanted to see me?" He asked as he entered the room. She nodded, and gestured to the door, he closed it. "How are you feeling?" They'd taken out the feeding tube.

"Brain stirred," Her voice was quiet, husky. "Water?" He poured her a cup from a pitcher that had recently been added to the room, then helped her drink. "Thank you," She settled back in her pillows. Stared at him for a moment. Her eyes didn't seem to be focusing quite right if the way she was squinting was any indication.

"You look tired. I should probably go, let you get some rest," He said after a few silent moments. He had no idea what else to say.

"Daniel," She reached for him, looking frustrated again. "Wanna go home."

"As soon as the doctors say that you can," He promised, hoping that her family would take her back in, and not make a liar out of him. It seemed to be what she wanted, and a huge disappointment like that wouldn't be good for her recovery.

"Stay," She pleaded.

"I can't," He smiled gently at her, "I'll come back to see you tomorrow though. I know how little you like hospitals, and enclosed spaces, but you're very sick right now. Let the doctors and nurses do their jobs, and rest."

"Hug?" She requested, holding her arms up pathetically close to the bed. Repressing a frown at the less than in character gesture, Daniel gave her one. The nurse had warmed him that she might not act like herself after all, that she might be confused. Later, she'd probably accuse him of taking advantage of her delicate condition, but for now keeping her happy was good for recovery. It wasn't like he minded. If the hug hadn't been enough of a surprise, the kiss that she pressed to the corner of his mouth was a shock. "Good night Daniel," She whispered.

Good night Leigh," He replied, turning to go. He wasn't at all sure what had just happened, and seeing Sam and Jack in the waiting area didn't help his confusion any. "She went to bed," He informed them. "But she was awake and talking. She seemed to be a bit confused about a few things though," He shook his head. "It should all clear itself up with a little time."

"Told you she needed you," Jack quipped as they made their way out of the hospital. "The doctor said that if all goes well she should be out of the ICU withing a week. He came and talked to us while you were in with her."

"I thought that Janet was her doctor," Daniel replied with a frown.

"One of many," Sam interjected. "Apparently her stroke was some kind of medical anomaly the first of its kind seen. They all came to the conclusion that it somehow had to have been done deliberately. The only thing is that none of them have figured out how it could have been done. I don't think that we have to worry about her being less than well taken care of."

"No, we just have to worry about overly curious doctors and test results that could cause Leigh a great deal of trouble." Daniel pointed out.

"Only if they think to look for nanites which there's no reason for them to," That was from Sam. "Anyway, it's late. I'll see you two tomorrow."

"Night Sam," Jack and Daniel chorused, as she left their little group. Jack walked him to his car. "What happened in there? You seemed less than enthusiastic that she was getting better."

He really couldn't hide anything from Jack could he? "She was different," he explained. "Completely different. She asked for a hug, and she kissed me. The nurse said that she would be confused, but that seems like more than confusion to me."

Jack frowned. "Give it a day or two. See what happens. Dr. Frasier did say that some things about her may change because of where she was injured. You may have to come to terms with the that a beautiful young woman has the hots for you."

"Thank you Jack. As always your advice is irreplaceable," Daniel got into his care them, signaling that the conversation was over. It was still sometime before her put his key in the ignition though, and, longer still before he drove away.

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End note: There it is, I'd appreciate some feedback, and I hope to have the next chapter up sooner than I did this one. I hope you enjoyed it.


	3. Ethel St James

Disclaimer: I do not own anything having to do with Stargate. I don't try to claim to, I'm just playing with the characters for a bit and intend to give them back in comparable condition to the one I found them in. : )

A/N: Welcome to chapter three. I've spent that last few hours typing, so I hope you enjoy.

**Chapter Three: Ethel St. James**

There they were again, the beeps and whirs of medical machines. Those had been the heralds of her cognizance, and Leigh hated them with a passion. They had been the most frustrating things in her world, a reminder that she was unable to communicate with anyone. What had done it, she had no idea, maybe it had been the desperation in Daniel's voice. Maybe it had been that he'd come so very close to yelling at her that she wanted to smack him for it. It was insanely rude to yell in an ICU where people were very ill and trying to get better.

She'd never imagined that when she tried to turn her head to glare she would actually manage. That had jostled the feeding tube, which had hurt. It was just as well, because she may never have made the sound that had prompted him to get the doctors otherwise, and if she'd just slipped back away then like she had so many times before... There was no way to know if she'd have been able to wake up that fully again. Not that the doctors had said anything like that, but something inside told her that she'd been very lucky.

She couldn't remember what had happened after the doctors had gotten done with her, it had all been a blur. Now all she could do was hope that it hadn't all been a sick dream. A joke played on her by her mind to torment her. It wouldn't have been the first time. Slowly, she tried to open her eyes, and she succeeded. A smile tugged at her face from that one small success, and she started to move her fingers, her limbs. With every success she became that much bolder. She was trying to sit up when her nurse, Estelle she thought that she'd heard her called, came in to check on her. Estelle rushed to her side.

"Careful there," She cautioned lightly, "You shouldn't be doing that unassisted just yet." An arm came around Leigh's shoulders, and she let herself be helped up. The room spun around her, "Does your head hurt?" Estelle asked, and Leigh shook her head, then had to blink her eyes against after images. "Are your eyes okay?" Estelle sounded concerned now.

"Blurred," Leigh replied not wanting to worry the other woman, but finding it difficult to speak. Stringing words together seemed very difficult. "Tracks," She tried again, but that didn't seem entirely right either. Leigh closed her eyes and would have fallen backwards onto the bed out of frustration, but the nurse had moved it into the seated position at some point.

"I can't begin to imagine how frustrating this must be," Estelle gave her a smile. "You had a major brain trauma it will take time for you to heal. Be patient, and let yourself."

"I know," That at least came out right, and tears pooled in her eyes. She hated being helpless like this. "Home," She insisted, she very much wanted to go home. With Daniel, her friend that had offered her a place to stay. She hoped the offer was still good, because she didn't have anywhere else to go. Not with her parents being that high profile business people that they were. Her whole family was too busy with their work and their lives to have the time for her, especially now. That's what you got for coming from a family like hers she guessed, there was money aplenty, but other things suffered for it.

"The doctors will release you as soon as you're well enough," Estelle promised. "You've still got a ways to go yet."

Well, that was obvious, she couldn't even seem to string together a complete sentence, but it was lonely here, and she really didn't like the smell. How it was that she could still smell it after so long she had no idea, but it burned her nose. She hated this place and everything about it. Especially the cold and isolation. "Daniel?"

"He's not here right now. I'm going to get you something to eat, okay?" Leigh nodded, and Estelle smiled. "Dr. Frasier will be in to check on you in a few minutes, after she's had a chance to consult with Dr. Feldman. You may just end up in a room with a window soon."

* * *

It had taken them three days after she woke up to move her out of the ICU. Given the leaps and bounds that she'd improved during that time, under the circumstances, Daniel hadn't worried too much about the length of time. Whatever else had happened to her, she still seemed to be able to bounce back from things rather well. They hadn't talked much in those days, though he had checked in on her daily, and made a habit of reading to her when the doctors had suggested it may help with her trouble forming complex sentences. She understood them well enough, but when she tried to form them odd words had a tendency to come out.

Physically, her recovery was going remarkably well, she was sitting up unassisted, and feeding herself rather well, but her depth perception seemed a bit off. That there may be a problem with her eyes worried him just a little, but what troubled him more was that while she remembered most things, like meeting him, she didn't remember them properly. Some memories seemed to have been lost altogether, others were modified nearly beyond recognition. There wasn't anything that the doctors could do though, and Janet had expressly forbidden using the Tok'ra memory device when he'd commented. Given how much trauma her brain had been through lately, and the unknown factor of the nanites Daniel couldn't really blame her. No one else had seen a reason to argue either.

They were left with a very real security issue though. Someone out there wanted Leigh, and she didn't know anything about it. While she'd been in the ICU, she'd been locked safely away. Now she was easily accessible, even with a guard at the door. As soon as they released her, things would only get worse.

"Daniel," Leigh's voice was soft. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," He assured, forcing a smile as he realized that he'd stopped reading. It had become a nightly ritual since she'd woken up, almost a week ago now. He would come after dinner, and read her to sleep. She seemed to enjoy it. "Where was I?"

"I might get out soon. When I'm walking. Can I still stay with you?" There was concern in her voice, and her eyes were scrunched up. A frown line appeared on her forehead as her face fell when he didn't answer immediately.

Daniel put his book aside with a slight frown of his own. "I thought that you said you wanted to go home." Her chin dropped, and she fiddled with her hands, eyes averting. "I'm sorry, if I misunderstood what you meant." Did she really think of him when she thought of home? That was news to him.

"No," She said quickly, raising her head and meeting his eyes with a very good fake of a smile. A civil, ladylike mask had fallen over her face leaving even her eyes unreadable. For all of the faces she'd made at him, Daniel couldn't remember seeing that one before. "There's just the plane. I'd need a ticket. No one to meet me. I can't go right-"

"Stop," Leigh stopped, blinked at him. "You're welcome to stay with me as long as you want or need to." He whole body visibly relaxed, but her expression stayed the same.

"Thank you. I owe you one," Then she yawned, and settled back against her pillows, eyes closing. "Good night."

"Sleep well," Daniel rose, and headed quietly for the door turning off the light as he exited. He doubted that she'd missed the fact that her family hadn't been to visit. It was still nice to see her response to hurt and disappointment hadn't changed a great deal. Even if she'd gotten insanely pleasant as opposed to snippy and annoying. Why was it that ever her similarities had to have differences? It didn't help that she didn't take well to being told that she wasn't acting like herself.

According to Sam, Leigh had called her delusional to her face when she'd asked a question about the cloaking device. It was almost as if anything less than ordinary had been wiped from her brain, and some semi-plausible explanation had been looped in. The problem with that of course being who could have done that in the middle of a secured base within eye shot of several people. The only answer that he could come up with was Deirdre McAllister. Having access to, and being a co-creator of their nanites, she would be the only other person on Earth who stood a chance of doing something of this magnitude. Even then, how, and why? All of these musings were giving him a headache, and Daniel pinched at the bridge of his nose, pushing his glasses up in the process. This whole situation was just bad.

"Dr. Daniel Jackson, I presume?" The voice was female, and decidedly British. For just a moment, his mind flashed back to his first meeting with Sarah, but the woman that had stepped in front of him looked nothing like her. No, this mousy brunette was all long limbs and bones. Only a face that pegged her as mid-thirties or so kept her expensive tailoring from looking like she was a kid sneaking into her mother's clothes.

"I am," He replied, trying to maneuver past her. "You are?"

"Ethel St. James," She told him moving aside and falling into step with him as he entered the elevator. She hit the emergency stop button as soon as they were behind closed doors. "It is no coincidence that I am here, Dr. Jackson. You see, the McAllisters are my responsibility. I believe you would call me their handler. With one of my girls out of commission, it has become necessary for me to present myself to those involved, and see to her welfare until she is able to return to active status."

"Really?" Daniel asked cocking his eyebrows in his best Teal'c impression. "I take it you have proof to support your story. Obviously Leigh isn't in the best condition to confirm or deny your claims." Who was this woman, and what was she doing here now? There had been weeks for her to arrive. Why now, so close to Leigh's release date. It didn't make sense, and Daniel didn't like it.

"I assure you Dr. Jackson that your superiors are convinced of my identity. I would be surprised if they hadn't left you messages that I was coming. Go ahead, and check, you won't offend me." Daniel did just that as she hit the button to start the elevator again. It didn't take him long to realize that she was right, Jack had even given a description, and not just of her appearance. "Satisfied?" She asked as he put his phone away, and Daniel nodded. "How is she?" For the first time, a hint of emotion entered the woman's voice, concern.

"Physically there's nothing wrong with her that a little physical therapy won't fix." Daniel replied, leaning back against the elevator wall. There was still something about her that he didn't like, but he couldn't put his finger on what. The messages hadn't said anything about telling her everything, and so he took a moment, trying to decide what to tell the woman. "He mental state is a little more concerning. She seems to have forgotten multiple events. She had a stroke though, so she's lucky that that was the extent of it."

"I see," Ethel frowned. "The McAllisters are very special. I find it troubling that something like this could happen to one of them." The elevator doors dinged open, and they exited. "I hope that I don't have to tell you that Leigh is not to know of my presence. It could upset her unduly. I'm not her favorite person. I was told that you offered her a place to stay. I would encourage you to keep that offer extended. I have a security detail available to see to her safety. I leave you here Dr. Jackson. We will meet again." Just like that, Ethel disappeared into the crowd, leaving Daniel with a sour taste in his mouth.


	4. Meeting the Neighbors

Disclaimer: I don't claim them as mine, and I'm really poor so please don't waste your time suing.

A/N:Okay, so this chapter will likely seem a little random, that's because I didn't like my original pacing, and so I wrote this on a whim. It's a fluffy filler, and I thought a good way to introduce characters we will be seeing more later. Besides, someone's got to have a little fun somewhere. I hope that you enjoy, and please review. Reviews really do help the muse realize that she is appreciated. Praise is nice, but constructive criticism is better.

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Chapter Four: Meeting the Neighbors

Ethel St. James, Daniel was really starting to hate the woman. She'd been a pain in his rear end since he met her two days ago. She was always asking questions, and refusing to answer any of his. To put it bluntly he didn't trust the woman, and neither did General Hammond. Sam had tried to look into her background, but the only thing there had been an obvious cover, given her line of work though, there was no reason to take that in and of itself as a reason to worry. Attempts to get a real live person to confirm her identity hadn't been any more successful, but then who was to expect anything different. Daniel stared at his coffee cup for a moment before glancing at his watch. It was Saturday, and he was supposed to go see Leigh soon. Now that she was starting to talk more, it was becoming more obvious how different she really was, and that didn't improve his mood any.

A knock on his door drew Daniel's attention back into the real world. Who would be visiting him at this hour? With a groan, he got up out of his chair, coffee cup in hand, and went to open the door. He blinked in surprise at his neighbor from across the street, her daughter was in tow behind her. "Hello," He said, trying not to frown. "Can I help you?"

"I actually thought that maybe we could help you," The woman gave him a dazzling smile. "My name is Allison, this is my daughter Trina. I couldn't help but notice that you don't get out much, and we were gonna go for a jog, I was wondering if you wanted to come with us?" Allison cocked her head to the side, black strands falling into her face as she did so. Was she flirting with him? "It could be fun."

"Ummm, Daniel,"He replied, trying to figure out exactly what was happening. "Thank you for the offer, but I was about to go visit a friend of mine. **She's** in the hospital."

"That's to bad," Allison replied, completely unaffected. "I hope your friend gets better. Trina and I were gonna go to the zoo later, maybe you'd like to join us? It's a long drive, it would be nice to have some adult company."

"Mommy!" Trina said, sounding indignant. She had her mothers coal black hair, and dark gray eyes. "I'm perfectly good company!"

"I'm sure you are," Daniel replied dropping down to her level and giving her a smile, she hid behind her mother. "May I ask why you're being so insistent?" He looked up at Allison.

"I like to get to know my neighbors. You're the only one that I haven't gotten that chance with. It's a habit I've had since Trina was born. Know your neighbors, know your neighborhood." She shrugged, "But if you're busy that's alright I guess. Maybe some other time. I just thought maybe you'd want to get your mind off of whatever has got your girlfriend in the hospital. Kids and animals are usually good for that. We should get going, but if you change your mind, we're right across the street, and we were going to leave at around one. Goodbye Daniel."

"Goodbye," he returned, watching the two of them set out at a pace perfect for Trina's tiny little legs. What was it about the women that came into his life that always left him so confused? Oh well, they would have been checked out when they moved into the neighborhood. Security when it came to Stargate key personnel was always high. If anything had seemed out of place, he'd have heard about it. Besides, it was time to go see Leigh.

The visit didn't go well, she'd had a set back in her physical therapy that morning, and grumpy was a mild word for how she was feeling. She'd ended up falling down and hitting her head, the only damage had been cosmetic, but he hadn't stayed long when it became obvious that she didn't want him there. He made a mental note to talk to the general about bringing Teal'c out to talk with her, he'd recently been through something very similar to what Leigh was going through now, and having someone to talk to could help them both. He sighed as he got home, and saw a familiar well hated vehicle in front of his house. Ethel St. James had found his home address.

"I see that you let yourself in," Daniel commented as he easily opened the door that he had left locked. "Give me one good reason not to have you thrown in jail for breaking and entering. Or not to turn you over the MP's for that matter."

"I wouldn't be here when they arrived, is that a good enough reason for you?" She was lounged across his sofa in what he imagined was supposed to be a seductive pose, and maybe if he didn't dislike her so much it would have been. "We need to talk about that new neighbor of yours. I don't like her. Get rid of her."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Daniel replied. "Kindly get out of my house, I don't appreciate people coming into it without my permission."

"She came over early, tried to ingratiate herself to you. That's suspicious behavior given when she showed up."

"You're one to talk," Daniel said, reaching for his cellphone. "I believe I asked you to leave. When you have something to say that doesn't sound suspiciously like you asking me to off a single mother, then maybe we can talk. Until then my house is off limits. You're here as a courtesy, try not to wear out your welcome any more than you already have."

She rose then, and sauntered towards him until they were toe to toe. "Fine, don't listen to me, but my instincts tell me that neither of those two are who they appear to be. You'll regret not doing as I said one day. I promise you." She left then, without so much as a goodbye. Daniel was insanely glad of that. He dialed Jack without missing a beat.

"Hello?" Jack didn't sound happy.

"Ethel St. James was in my house when I got back from seeing Leigh at the hospital. I don't know what to make of it, but I don't like the fact that she broke into my house, or that she's obviously had me under surveillance." He explained about his meeting with his new neighbor that morning, and how Ethel had alluded to it. "I think we may want to put a detail on them, for their own protection at the very least. Who knows what St. James is capable of."

"I'll talk to General Hammond and see what we can come up with. I suggest joining them this afternoon, if you're really concerned that she might do something to them, I'll do what I can."

"Thank you Jack, and you're probably right." They said goodbye then, and Daniel was left contemplating if he really wanted to spend the afternoon in a car with a woman he didn't know and a six year old girl. Was Ethel really that big of a threat? Yes, logic told him that. She was an unknown factor, they had no way of guessing what she would do or what she was capable of, and if she did anything to the two and he hadn't done what he could to prevent it, he would never forgive himself. Not when there was a child involved.

* * *

"Daniel, I really didn't expect to see you." Allison smiled at her neighbor as she let him into her house. "I'm glad you changed your mind though. You look like you could use a little fun. Is your girlfriend okay?" _My girlfriend?_ That's when Daniel realized that he'd implied just that, and that he hadn't corrected the assumption.

"She's not really my girlfriend just a close female friend, and she had a set back today."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Allison said frowning. "Why is she in the hospital anyway?"

"She had a stroke. No one knows why exactly. She was extremely healthy. I guess it can happen to anyone. But I'm not exactly here to talk about something depressing like that. I haven't been to the zoo in forever." He looked around Allison's home, it was warm, cozy, there was childish art papering many of the walls. "You really Trina don't you?"

"She's my little miracle baby. I thought I couldn't have children, and then there she was," Allison's smile was soft, and so completely maternal that Daniel found himself dismissing Ethel's insinuations all over again. This was definitely a mother that loved her child. There was no faking that parental feeling.

"Mommy!" A loud demanding voice called from deeper in the house. "Can I be done with lunch now?"

"Excuse me," She apologized, heading toward what he assumed was the kitchen. He followed at a discrete distance, and watched as she looked over Trina's plate, and then told her to put it away. There was something about the domesticity of the scene that pulled at his heart strings. His parents had been like that, warm and loving. "Daniel decided to come with us to the zoo, so go get your shoes on kiddo. It's time to head out."

"Yes mommy," Trina said with a sweet smile that Daniel had little doubt was for his benefit.

"She's cute," He said, grinning as she ran down the hall towards what he assumed was her bedroom. "I'll bet she's a handful when she wants to be though."

"Most definitely," She looked at him sideways. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Are you hitting on me?" Daniel asked, blinking.

"Only if it wouldn't offend you. I need friends more than anything. I teach kindergarten, my life is children. It's good to have some adults to spend time with too."

Daniel couldn't help but chuckle. "I think you and Leigh might have gotten along well before she had her stroke." He shook his head. "I don't have a girlfriend no, but I'm not really looking at the moment either. I only have as much free time as I do right now because someone needs to keep an eye on Leigh. Her family have all disappeared into the woodwork. Usually, I'm swamped."

"To bad," Allison shrugged. "If you ever change your mind about that, you just let me know. I'm low maintenance, I could handle it." Then Trina came running out, and it was time to go.


	5. Interlude: Meet the Parents

**Interlude**

For the first time in two months, Micheal McAllister entered his home. His sixtieth year was rapidly approaching, and he was getting much too old for the work he did. Maybe he **should** take the next teaching commission he was offered, it would be a little easier on him than the daredevil stunts he sometimes had to pull to get himself and his charges out of dangerous situations. He groaned as he saw the blinking message light on the answering machine. There was only one message, and since few people ever tried to contact him that way, he couldn't imagine it being good news.

All he wanted to do was go throw himself into bed and stay there until it was time for him to go back to work, or until Bri came home. Whichever came first. He was tired, and he ached, but she'd been spending increasing amounts of time out in the field since the girls had grown up. It scared him a little that all the women in his life thrust themselves into dangers way, but he was proud of them all the same. Steeling himself for the worst, he hit the play back button, and waited praying he wasn't about to find out that one of his girls was dead. The unfamiliar voice that greeted him wasn't reassuring.

"Hello, my name is Daniel Jackson," His voice was American, Micheal's adrenalin level rose. "I just thought that you might like to know that Leigh finally woke up. I don't know why I'm bothering after your response to the fact that she was in a coma to begin with, I just know in your place I'd want to know. She's fine for the most part, but somethings happened to her head. I don't want to go into detail over the phone, but if there are any familial feelings in you cold..." There was a tense pause. "You'll come to Colorado Springs and help her get better." A click signaled the end of the call.

A coma? His baby girl was in a coma, someone in this family knew about it and no one had bothered o tell him? All thoughts of creaking or old age vanished from Micheal's mind The message was over a week old, which meant that whatever had happened had been longer ago than that. There had been plenty of time... For that matter what was this about their response? His cell phone was in his hand before he realized he wanted it there, and he hit the speed dial for his wife's emergency line. He was damn well going to find out why no one had told him is daughter was in the hospital, and why she was there alone. He was long past wondering what she was doing in America, keeping tracks of his girls was something he'd given up on years ago.

The vibration in her pocket stopped Bri in her tracks. She didn't have time for this. She had to get to a meeting and she was already late, but that phone wouldn't be ringing if there wasn't a damned good reason for it. Like her cover was blown, or someone was dead. The only people who had the number were her husband and her superiors. Cursing, she pulled out her phone and answered it. "I have a very important meeting in ten minutes and I'm still a good three miles away, on foot. Make this quick."

"Why didn't you tell me that Leigh was in a coma!" She couldn't remember the last time she'd heard her husband yell, but he was definitely yelling. Maybe that's why he was making no sense at all.

"Whatever are you going on about? She was fine when I saw her last. I left before you did remember. I certainly never went home. It would be foolish to assume that I'm not being watched. I have a very important meeting. When it's done I should have everything I need. I'll be home as soon as I can, and we can figure this out."

"Meet me in America, Colorado Springs, Colorado. I don't know what she was doing there, or what's going on, but I intend to find out. No one accuses me of not loving my girls."

Bri sighed. "Calm down Micheal. Take a deep breath, and don't do **anything** until I get home. I'll there within the week. She's my daughter too you know." Then she hung up. She really did need to get to her meeting, time to commander a vehicle.


	6. From out the Hospital

**For disclaimer information see the first chapters.**

A/N: Hello anyone and everyone who's still reading this. I know it's been a long time since there was last a chapter. I'm really sorry about that. I do intend to finish this story, it could just take longer than I'd originally planned. Here it is, for your reading pleasure:

* * *

Chapter Five: From out the Hospital

_ I never should have sent him away. _She'd known that it was a mistake even as she'd been doing it, but she hadn't been able to help herself. She was just so embarrassed. Had been feeling confused, defeated. If she'd just let Daniel stay, she wouldn't be alone with her pain right now. She wouldn't be alone with her mind and the dark images it was supplying her. Blood. That had been the trigger. A whiff of it on the air. She wasn't even sure where it had come from. One moment she'd been fine, then bam, the scent of blood, and she'd gone down with a blazing headache. As if that in and of itself hadn't been enough, she'd hit her head on the way down. It had been humiliating.

The images had left her. A bloody corpse, a mangled vehicle. The press of a fire arm against her hip. All of it was drenched in a sick sense of responsibility. She'd caused it. She whimpered as a different image forced its way into her head. She and Deirdre in pretty party dresses, attending a Broadway play. Mum and Da on either side of them, holding hands behind their backs. A sense of peace soothed away the pain in her head, and slowly the darker images drifted away. Nothing more than a terrible dream. They'd been on holiday. Seen the sights, taken in a few plays. There had been no sinister happening. No one had died. It was all her imagination. _If I just call him, Daniel will confirm it._

Her room's phone was in her hand in an instant, just to be put back down again. She'd throughly chased him off just a few hours ago. She doubted he'd have any wish to come back to be verbally beaten some more.

None of it made any sense. She needed someone to talk to. A way to get out of this place. It was too sterile here, too closed in in this tiny room. The air seemed to compress around her. The pain in her head blazed back to life and she whimpered. She needed him. It was three rings before the other end was picked up.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end was familiar, but it wasn't Daniel's.

"Dierdre?" Leigh asked. "What are you doing with Daniel's phone?"

"I'm sorry?" The woman on the other end of the phone sounded affronted. "You have me mistaken for someone else miss. Daniel is in the restroom, he left his coat with my daughter because she was cold. The call was from the hospital, I thought it might be important." Now that she'd been speaking more, the similarity in their voices vanished.

"I'm sorry," Leigh managed. "You sounded like someone I know. I'm sorry again, for bothering you. Enjoy your day." Silent tears traced paths down her cheeks as she hung up the phone. Not that she was sure why. So Daniel was out with a woman and a child. So what? It would have made less sense if he didn't have a family.

He'd only felt sorry for her all along. She'd known that though. Who could ever care about a woman in the hospital whose own family couldn't even be bothered to come see her. What else could there be but pity?

_Well I've had enough of pity. I won't take anymore of it. I'll figure this out on my own._ Fighting the weakness of her still recovering body, and her massive headache, Leigh got carefully to her feet. She wasn't going to stay here any longer. Her bag was in the closet, she'd seen it. Getting to it was an effort. Getting into her street clothes once she did was even more so. Still, she managed, and after a few minutes breather, she found her wallet, checked it's contents. When she found them satisfactory, she shoved into her back pants pocket, grabbed her coat, and made her careful way out of the hospital. Luck was on her side, and she managed to avoid anyone who might recognize her. Or so she'd thought.

* * *

"You got a call from the hospital," Daniel jumped at Allison's voice. Where had she come from? She'd been sneaking up on him all day. "I think it was from Leigh. She sounded upset. You should call her."

"I was planning on heading over there when we got back," He replied, frowning as he plucked his phone from her hand. "Do you make a habit of answering other people's phones?"

"Only when it belongs to someone I know, and they have a friend in the hospital. The caller ID identified it as a hospital number. I thought it might be important, and I wanted to shut your phone up before it woke up my daughter. Are we all done with the pit stop?"

"She's finally asleep?" Daniel asked, eyebrows inching up his forehead in surprise. The little one had been a ball of energy the whole time they were at the zoo, and a cranky one for the last several miles of the car ride. It hadn't been fun.

"Yup," Allison chirped, and they got back into the car. Daniel glanced back to see for himself that the sweet little terror was indeed down for the count. "I could just drop you by the hospital if you'd like. Now that she's asleep I'm in no hurry."

"I have a couple things I need to take care of anyway. Besides what kind of gentleman would leave a lady to carry a half grown girl to her bed?" Which would be just the opening he would need to ensure that no one had sabotaged their house while the three of them had been out. He hadn't forgotten That Woman's threads. The last thing they needed was a fire or an explosion.

"A modern one who realizes that women can be strong too? Not that I'm saying no. That little ton of bricks back there is heavier than she looks."

"Well then, that's settled." The rest of the trip was accomplished with companionable small talk. Their home coming was uneventful, and a quick check showed her house to be in order. Thankfully, his was as well. The call came when he was already halfway to his car.

* * *

"You know, they call the police when a patient vanishes. Especially one that's suffered head trauma." Leigh didn't look up as Daniel sat across from her in the small diner booth. "Any particular reason you ran away? You could have just checked yourself out if you were that desperate to leave."

"Maybe I just wanted some decent food," Leigh murmured, cutting another bite of steak and shoving it into her mouth. She seemed reticent to talk, and not at all curious about how he'd found her. Had she realized she was being tailed?

"What's wrong? If you were trying to prove yourself after your fall, you've done marvelously. Just left me get you back the hospital before you hurt yourself." He kept his voice low, calm. Much like he'd speak to an injured animal. What was going on insider her head right now?

"I couldn't stay there anymore. It was going to drive me nuts. I started having these images in my head. Bad things, like memories. They made my head hurt, and that room was just so small. I had to get out." She was agitate, and it showed in the erratic way she started to chop at her food. Daniel stilled her hand with his own before she could hurt herself.

"You should have called me. I might have been able to help."

"Are you sure your wife would have liked that? How far into this pity trip will her trust go?"

"Pity trip?" She thought that he pitied her? For that matter, where had she gotten the idea that he was married? None of that mattered now. "Nothing I have done for you has been motivated by pity. I'm sorry if you believe otherwise. As for a wife, I don't have one anymore. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised that you don't remember that conversation though.

"So that was your ex then?" Leigh detangled her hand from his and reached for her water glass. "The one who answered your phone?"

Well that explained it. He'd completely forgotten about the Allison answering his phone in the hubbub of tracking Leigh down. "That was Allison, she lived across the street from me. She's new in town, and so I went to the zoo with her and her daughter. It's a bit out of town, she wanted some company." Best to leave out that she and the child had been threatened.

"I see." Leigh began to toy with her glass. "That was very kind of you." She got up then, reaching for her back pocket. "This has been interesting. Please, enjoy your evening."

"Don't go. I'd rather not have to chase you down again, but I will. There are people out there who want to hurt you. If I have to have you locked up to keep you safe I will," It was exactly the wrong thing to say, and he knew it before the words left his mouth, but he meant it. Leigh just shook her head and dumped a twenty on the table. "You hurt your head. Please just let me take you back to the hospital to get looked over. You'll be safe there."

"No, I won't."

Then she walked away. Daniel let her. He would find her again, make sure she was safe, it was as simple as that. She was his responsibility. The opportunity to speak to her again came about two hours later. The sun was on it's way out of the sky when he took a seat next to her on a park bench. There were few people remaining this late in the afternoon, and none of them where close enough to overhear them.

"You're making it way too easy to find you," He said softly when she didn't look up. This wasn't like the woman he'd first started to get to know. "I guess you really don't remember who you used to be."

"I remember plenty," Leigh's voice came out half sob. "I'm just not sure what's real anymore. Every time I close my eyes I see horrible things that could never have happened." She shook her head, arms wrapping around herself as she bowed her head. "I'm not a killer am I?"

"Why would you ask that?" Daniel's brow furrowed.

"There are these things, in my head... There's just all this blood, _everywhere_," Leigh started to shake then, as her eyes closed against tears that flowed freely down her cheeks anyway.

"You're not a killer," He promised softly, giving her knee a gentle squeeze in a futile attempt to calm her. She let him do it. "I can't promise to be able to answer all, or any of your questions. To be honest I never had the chance to get to know you that well. You didn't really let me. I can say without a doubt that you're not a killer."

"How? How can you know that? You didn't even know me!"

"If you were, I wouldn't be alive to tell you you weren't. That's how I know," He kept his voice low and calming. "If it were in your nature to kill people, neither of us would be here right now. You're better than that."

"I can't remember any of it," She confessed slanting a tear stained glance in his direction.

"I know," He assured, resisting the urge to wipe those tears away. "Something in your head went really wrong. Will you let me take you back to the hospital now?"

"It makes my head hurt," She whimpered. "The bad things in my head are worse there. Please don't make me go back!"

"Those are exactly the same reasons you need to go back," Daniel insisted. "You need an MRI, tests to make sure that you're going to be okay, that complications haven't cropped up," He did wipe at her tears then, and caught her chin in his hand making her look at him. "I know you don't like the hospital but wouldn't it be better than being dead?"

"No," She said, voice steady and sure as if she believed it with every fiber of her being. "Don't make me go back."

"What will you do then? Where will you go? Even if you changed your mind about leaving the country and going back to live with your parents, we can't let you do that right now. You could put them in danger and you would certainly be putting yourself there. You have nowhere to go."

"Don't I?" Leigh's eyes widened then, and her face too on a perfectly adorable pout. "I thought maybe I could stay with you. Just until I could tell reality from the dream. I'm still welcome aren't I? At least until I can figure out what in my head is real and what's not. I mean you say there are people after me and-" The rest of her speech was muffled against his chest as Daniel pulled her into a hug. As much to shut up her babbling as anything else.

"If you really want it my guest room is at your disposal, with two conditions," Leigh stiffened slightly in his arms, he continued anyway. "You'll continue to see Dr. Frasier regularly to ensure that you're not getting worse. The other is that you let me take you back to the hospital long enough to get you checked out properly, even if it is against doctor's advice. I don't think that's too much to ask."

"I guess I can handle the hospital that long," She agreed relaxing against him. Maybe this decision was unwise. With so much up in the air anything could happen. If taker her home with him was a mistake, they wouldn't know until it was too late. At this point though, he was willing to take that risk.

* * *

End note: This has been Chapter Five. I hope you have enjoyed it, and as always, reviews are welcome.


	7. Kidnapped

**D****isclaimer: See first chapter.**

A/N: Funny thing happened with this chapter, I was typing up on it last night, and I saved it done for the night only to open it this morning and realize that it was at the best possible place to end the chapter. :) Anyway, hope you enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter Six: Kidnapped**

Ethel St. Clair paced the small living room awaiting the return of the house's occupant. She'd been alerted the moment that Leigh McAllister had gone missing. Of course she had, the girl was her concern. Now she was going to bloody well find out how they'd gone and lost her. That was a sin that was beyond forgiveness. Dr. Jackson was going to pay.

Idly, her gaze moved across the street to the house across they way. Dr. Jackson seemed to be fond of his new neighbor. Perhaps she should be used as leverage of a sort. _Not just yet._ She chided herself. It was too soon to start laying out her hand. For now it was best just to wait him out. There would be time enough to find and exploit his every weakness if the need presented itself. It was after all what she did. So long as Leigh really didn't remember anything, she could very well get everything she'd ever wanted and have the girl neatly bundled away before anyone was at all the wiser. The thought delighted her.

The sound of a car pulling up outside was all the warning she needed to get herself into position. Settled comfortably on his couch and for all the world looking as if she didn't have a care in the world. The last thing she could do was let him know that she was upset. He could use that against her. Emotion was not her friend, especially in this situation. A female voice was her first clue that this meeting wasn't going to go the way that she wished it to. Then the door opened and it was all she could do not to smirk in triumph.

"Dr. Jackson," She greeted coolly. "I see you've already solved my conundrum for me. Thank you for your swiftness." Dr. Jackson froze, and though she frowned slightly, Leigh gave no sign of recognition. This was wonderful. "I only hope that you'll be accommodating now that it's been made apparently that you can not properly protect my charge. She'll be coming with me immediately."

"Daniel, who is she, what's she talking about?" Leigh's voice was shaky as she latched onto his arm. Oh how the mighty had fallen. Ethel couldn't stop the smile that tugged at her lips. It was glorious to see the stuck up, holier than thou agent so lost and confused. So ripe for the plucking and exploitation. No one would know that she had her this time, there would be no one to stop her. That Deirdre had yet to make an appearance was a bit of a frightening point, but that was only a minor annoyance.

"She's insane if she thinks she's taking you anywhere," Dr. Jackson stated as he thrust Leigh behind him. It was cute that he thought that that would be enough. "I don't know where you think you get off, breaking into my house again, but you're not taking Leigh anywhere. You don't have the authority to do that."

"Actually," Ethel's smile turned down right vicious as she watched one of her guards come into the room and draw a weapon. "I have all the authority that I need. Now, if you don't want to end up dead Dr. Jackson, I suggest handing over the girl and getting out of my way. Don't think your little super spy there will be any help. This was never really her thing even when she could think straight. Now with her head all addled she's useless to you. Couldn't hurt a fly I would imagine."

"Daniel, I'm scared, my head hurts," Leigh whimpered, and Ethel laughed. Oh how much she'd longed for this day. It was such a beautiful occasion.

She never would have thought that it was possible, but Leigh was really starting to wish that she'd stayed in the hospital. Bad dreams were one thing, but this was a whole different kind of a nightmare. The man behind her with a gun was most certainly real and this whole thing was giving her the most dreadful headache. She just wanted it all to go away. Daniel's arms came around her for just a moment. "It'll be okay, just stay calm," He said, voice low, even. Then he leaned his head against her hair and whispered. "When I go for the guy with the gun, run away as fast as you can. Don't look back and whatever you hear don't stop. She won't kill me, she knows better." Leigh's heart stopped as he pulled back and place a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth before turning to the insane woman with the British accent.

"You're a real piece of work, I hope you realize that," Daniel said, meeting Ethel's eyes for just a moment. "You can't get away with this you know," Somewhere in the process of hugging her Daniel had exchanged their positions and now he was the one that was nearer the man with the gun. "There are people watching her. I don't know how you plan on getting out of here." As he'd been speaking to Ethel, he'd been edging closer to the gunman and then he just moved, knocking the gun up and away from him. Some instinct triggered then and without conscious direction, Leigh ran as she'd been bid.

A shot rang out behind her, and Leigh threw herself to the ground outside the front door, straight into the grasp of a grab team. She tried to struggle but there were too many of them. A hood was pulled down over her head and tightened around her neck making it hard for her to breath. Cold, heavy iron shackles were secured around her wrists and ankles. Then she was thrown onto the base boards of a vehicle and moving. This was a very bad situation.

"I'd like to report a crime," Allison said into the phone receiver looking out the front window at the shadowy goings on. "There were shots fired at my neighbor's house across the way and it looks like someone is being kidnapped," She rattled off the address then and all the details that she could see. "He just brought a friend home from the hospital, she'd had a stroke, please just get someone here as quickly as you can." She hung up then eyes tearing as she bit her lip. What the hell was happening over there? What was this Daniel fellow in to? He'd seemed so nice this afternoon, had been so good with Trina. Why was it that there was always something shady going on with the ones that were sweet and good with kids?

"Mommy, was that a gun?" Trina asked, coming into the living room. The girl looked scared, and Allison didn't blame her.

"Yeah, it was, but don't worry. The police are coming and the bad people seem to have gone away," She assured her daughter, going to her knees and hugging her. These things seemed to follow them, no matter how hard she tried to keep that from happening. This place was supposed to be a safe one. That's why she'd brought her daughter here. Had she been wrong?

"Is Danny okay?" Trina asked, head cocking to the side. The little girl had seemed to have grown fond of the man on that short little outing. It showed now in her question. Her eyes were wide and tears threatened to fall as she looked her mother in the eye.

"I hope so baby. I really hope so." That's when the siren's finally wailed, much too late as usual. "Just go back to bed love. It's time for you to be sleeping anyway."

"Yes mama," Trina said, then wandered back to her room just as the police knocked on the door. It was going to be a long night.


End file.
